The 3rd Jockey Club Football Leadership Scheme is now open for applications

02/15/2016

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced today (15 February) a new phase of the Jockey Club Youth Football Leadership Scheme, a five-month programme to develop the physical, mental and leadership capabilities of Hong Kong’s young people. Recruitment for the new scheme is open until 23 February.

Joining the press conference were Olympic gold medallist Lee Lai-shan, well-known media presenter Lawrence Cheng Dan-shui, former Hong Kong Olympic swimmer Alex Fong as well as the Head Coach of Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in Hong Kong Christopher O’Brien, who will serve as mentors to the young participants. Also in attendance was Chan Yuen Ting, Head Coach of Eastern Football Club, and the first female coach in the Hong Kong Premier League.

Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges explained how the Jockey Club Youth Leadership Scheme, which is a collaboration between the Club, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) and Manchester United, has pioneered a new and innovative approach to developing the physical, mental and social capabilities of Hong Kong’s young people.  Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said that the collaborative approach was an excellent example of the Club’s enabling role in Hong Kong – mobilizing the expertise of different individuals and organsiations toa£á£ádeliver unique solutions to address social needs, “We believe firmly in collaboration and in bringing the best out of everybody to create an impact. Together we aim to support and help the people of Hong Kong.”

The programme involves a series of leadership workshops conducted by professional trainers from TWGHs in collaboration with scheme mentors Lee Lai-shan, Lawrence Cheng and Alex Fong. Christopher O’Brien will also conduct an elementary football coaching course. A new feature this year will be a day tour of the Hong Kong Sports Institute, a unique opportunity for participants to experience this state-of-the-art centre of sporting excellence.

A key feature of the programme is the opportunity for participants to apply their leadership skills through a series of community and football projects. “We believe everyone should give back, sharing the benefits of their learning and experience. This is why, once they have been trained, every youngster is tasked with organising community football activities in their district. We want to see them using their leadership skills to benefit and inspire other young people”, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

This year five outstanding participants from previous years were appointed as senior leaders. In particular, two senior leaders are now assistant coaches with the Club’s School Football Development Scheme, working together with Christopher O’Brien.

After a selection interview, some 40-50 recruits will join the five-month programme running from March to August. Six outstanding participants will be awarded with a trip to Manchester in England where they will take part in local community programmes and visit Manchester United. Those with a good attendance record and performance will also be eligible for an exchange trip to Mainland China where they will share their football leadership skills with local youngsters.

The Club is a long-time supporter of local football development. Since 2012 it has been collaborating with Manchester United on a number of programmes designed to develop the physical, mental and social capabilities of young people, which include the JC Elite Youth Football Camp, the JC School Football Development Scheme, the JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme, JC Youth Football Fitness Assessment and Youth Football Skill Challenge. The Club also supports the Jockey Club Youth Football Development Scheme, whose summer scheme is the largest such programme in Hong Kong. Last year, the Club announced some HK$120 million donation to support the Jockey Club HKFA 5-Year Football Development Programme, which aims to promote football across the community, including futsal and women’s football. In terms of infrastructure, the Club has supported the construction of the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre and the rebuilt of Hong Kong Stadium as a home for Hong Kong’s major domestic and international football games. 

Please click here to download the application form (Chinese Only).

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2014/15, its donations reached a record HK$3.87 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,300 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$20.05 billion in 2014/15. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,000 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.